A Surprising Reveal (It's the Great Prat, Merlin!)
by Cissa The Bookworm
Summary: A Hogwarts Eighth Year fic where one of the Hogwarts students is really Merlin, who is revealed when King Arthur raises from the depths of the Great Lake.


As soon as the Sorting Hat gave word that the Prophecy of King Arthur and Merlin was come to be, a guard was set out by the lake, so not as to miss the coming signs of the great king. Someone was by the lake at all times, night and day. Rumors and gossip flowed freely through Hogwarts, the students comfortable enough to do so now that Harry Potter defeated Voldemort. Harry, and many other students in his year, had chosen to return to Hogwarts to complete their seventh year of schooling, given the last year's circumstances.

One bright, sunny morning, word came from the lake that the coming signs of the king were happening. The entirety of the Hogwarts population was in attendance, the professors looking on in utter fascination.

The Hogwartians didn't have long to wait. Soon enough a head of blonde hair emerged slowly from the water. Many of the gathered audience drew in startled gasps as the king was revealed, he was nothing like they had imagined but every bit kingly. Neville Longbottom shivered in anticipation. King Arthur started to make his way to the shore, but before he had hardly gone three steps, Neville broke off from the students, headed towards Arthur at a run. The students tried to pull Neville back and all the spells the professors sent his way simply bounced back. His friends thought he must have gone mental.

"Arthur!" Neville gasped as he threw his arms around Arthur. As soon as Neville touched Arthur, his image shook, shimmered, and morphed, changing the very way that he looked.

As if that wasn't surprising enough, Arthur smiled gently and wrapped his arms around the shivering boy he was holding. "Merlin." Arthur said fondly, "Can't live a day without me can you?"

Neville, Merlin, sniffed and rubbed away a couple tears, "Shut up." He grumbled, "It's been over a thousand years since your death."

"Always the girl, _Mer_ lin." Arthur teased. Merlin hit Arthur in the arm, right where he knew that the chainmail didn't protect him as well. A place only he knew. "Oi!" Arthur complained, "What was that for?"

"For dying on me you great _clotpole_!" Merlin hit Arthur again in the same spot, "And _that's_ for not coming back for over a thousand years!" Merlin raised his hand as if to hit Arthur again.

Arthur grabbed Merlin's hand and cradled it against his chest, "I'm sorry."

"What's that?" Merlin scoffed, "I didn't quite catch what you said."

Arthur chuckled, amused by Merlin's antics, " _I said_ that I'm sorry." Arthur then turned serious, "I'm sorry that I died in that battle and I'm sorry that I left you alone for so many years." Arthur sighed, "You must know that I never meant to do that to you."

"I know." Merlin's voice suddenly sounded small. "It's been a very long time and I've missed you so much." Tears pooled at the corners of his eyes.

"Hey, hey now." Arthur teased gently, "No man is worth your tears, especially not me."

Merlin gave Arthur a tiny grin, "Why would I shed tears for you? You're just a dollophead."

Arthur snorted, "Idiot."

" _Your_ idiot." Merlin corrected.

"Of course," Arthur allowed the correction, "Now c'mon, I'm the Once and Future King! I'm sure there's some officials I'm supposed to parade around for! It'll be fun!" Arthur allowed a goofy grin to grow on his face, despite his sarcastic words.

Merlin outright laughed, "I don't know, how do you feel about _magical_ officials?"

Arthur pulled a face, "Are they still going to parade me around?"

"Undoubtedly."

"Then I still dislike the thought, magical or not." Arthur threw his arm around Merlin's shoulders and prodded at him until he started to walk forward and out of the lake. As soon as they were out of the lake, Merlin's eyes flashed gold for a few seconds and the pair was suddenly dry.

"Couldn't have the princess catching a cold." Merlin teased, a broad grin on his face.

"Hey!" Arthur complained, "Don't start that!"

"Of course not, my princess."

"MERLIN!" Arthur roared.

Merlin laughed as he pulled out from under Arthur's hold and danced away. As soon as the two were out of contact, the Hogwartians idly noted that the magic holding Merlin's appearance didn't drop and he did not suddenly look like Neville Longbottom again.

"And what is all this about," McGonagall sternly asked, "Mr. Longbottom?"

Merlin turned a guilt-filled face towards the stern lady, "Uh, magic?" Merlin gave what he hoped was an innocent grin as he awkwardly looked at his professors and fellow students.

"Magic indeed." McGonagall dryly replied.

Several of the Gryffindor boys snorted in laughter, causing McGonagall to turn her stern glare towards them. McGonagall turned back towards Merlin who continued to smile innocently, "Wipe that dumb look off your face, Merlin, everyone knows that you're not innocent." Arthur griped.

Merlin sent a sharp look Arthur's way, "I could have gotten away with it if you had just _kept your trap shut_!"

"Now is that any way to speak to your king?" Arthur scolded.

Merlin snorted, "You're hardly a king anymore." Merlin dramatically looked around, "Where's your castle?"

Arthur rolled his eyes, "Hmmm, the one in front of me looks rather nice."

"I bet you'd have a hard time taking it away from a bunch of magical folk. They're rather protective of their school." Merlin smiled at Arthur for a few seconds in silence before starting up his inane chatter, "I mean it is a rather nice place, as far as castles go. Not that I've been in too many of them in the past few years, mind you, but I suppose it's not like the old days where everyone had a castle that one could simply tour. The Fisher King, now he had a very lovely-"

"Merlin?" Arthur foux-kindly asks.

"Shut up?" Merlin replies.

"If you would." Arthur rolls his eyes in fond amusement, "I mean really, best warlock in all of Albion? They chose a _lovely_ champion."

Merlin looks offended, "Excuse you! Can _you_ wield the balance of life and death and kill a Priestess of the Old Religion with a lightning bolt?"

"You killed Nimueh? When was this?"

Merlin shrugs, "Like the first year we knew each other….I think it was after you decided to tolerate me, but I'm a little sketchy on how long it took you to stop protesting my existence."

"Please," Arthur scoffs, "some days I still protest your existence."

"I feel like I should be offended by that statement, but I really can't bring myself to be."

Arthur snickers. The Hogwartians watch open mouthed at the pair bicker like an old married couple. "Have you two always been like this?" Dean Thomas, feeling brave, finally dares ask.

Merlin turns his cheery grin on Dean, "Oh you haven't seen anything! It's a good day, he hasn't thrown something at me yet!"

"Don't act so excited for me to throw something at you." Arthur says sarcastically, "The day is yet young."

"Please," Merlin laughs, "what are you going to throw? Your cloak? I'm shivering in my boots."

Arthur snorts, "What about all this heavy armour that I'm wearing?"

Merlin cheekily grins, "You're useless at getting all that off without me."

"Somedays Merlin, somedays." Arthur shakes his head, "Speaking of, it would be lovely to get out of this armour in the next century."

Merlin threads his arm through the crook of Arthur's, "Your room is still intact. When the four founders of Hogwarts decided to use Camelot to build their school I put a couple charms, rather simple really, on the castle so some things could never be changed. Your chambers for 's chambers are the same as well as the Great Hall and the library." Merlin smiles, "I made sure to make Uther's chambers into something that would have him turning in his grave."

"And what, pray tell, did you make my father's old chambers into?"

Merlin snickers, "Charms classroom. Magic used daily in that room. Rather frivolously if I may add."

Arthur laughs, "You're rather decent at petty revenge."

Merlin preens, "Thank you!"

"Not exactly something to be proud of."

Merlin rolls his eyes, "From you, it's a compliment."

"Idiot." Arthur laughs, "How you've fooled everyone that you're some wise old man, I'll never know."

Merlin roars with laughter, greatly confusing the Hogwartians, who trailed after the pair. "It might have something to do with me donning the guise of Dragoon the Great."

" _You_ were that old man?" Arthur asks skeptically, "I thought magic couldn't do that."

"Aging potion. New magic couldn't possibly age a person, but it _can_ make a person appear to be old. The Old Religion though?" Merlin scoffs, "Quite scary that that potion actually made me old."

Arthur sighs, "You had Gauis' help didn't you?"

"Of course!" Merlin rolls his eyes, "I'm rubbish at any type of potions, you know that."

"And cooking anything decent."

"Like you're any better."

"At least I can cook game meat and not burn it." Arthur retorts.

Merlin shrugs, "I'll give you that. But a chicken? Heaven forbid you know how to cook that."

Arthur blushes, "I thought you were never going to bring that up again!"

Merlin grins wickedly, "When did I ever promise that?"

" _Mer_ lin."

"Shutting up." Merlin's smirk stays firmly on his face as he stops talking. Merlin allows for a few moments of silence on their way to Hogwarts. "You know, I do believe I'm more famous than you."

Arthur raises a questioning eyebrow. "Indeed?"

Merlin snickers, "Well of course every child in the muggle, _ahem_ , non-magic world, knows about the old, wise Merlin who raised this little bratty, peasant Arthur and led him to the sword in the stone that allowed him to become the ruler of Camelot. And the wizarding world obviously favours me. I am rather fabulous, so I can see the appeal." Merlin hums thoughtfully, "Now _you_ , you're rather a side thought I'm afraid."

The Hogwartians gawp at the audacity that Merlin was displaying and eagerly awaited Arthur's reply. "You've been making that speech up all these centuries haven't you?" Arthur twirls a hand around in the air, "Just waiting to rub in the fact that the world is under the impression that I was a peasant?"

Merlin snickers again, "Oh you have no idea how long I've been waiting to rub it in. Makes up for all the times you threw me into the stocks. The vegetables Arthur, the _vegetables_."

"Oh don't be such a girl's petticoat, Merlin, it isn't like the lettuce and tomatoes hurt anything but your pride."

"The potatoes rather hurt." Merlin complains.

"You were, and I'd hazard a guess and say 'still are' the _worst_ manservant to ever grace the goddess' green earth." Arthur replies. "If you pretended to be decent around my father you wouldn't have spent nearly the amount of time in the stocks that you did."

"Uther was an old grump." Merlin gripes.

"Ah, ah!" Arthur mocks, "Is that treason I hear?"

"He's dead, it hardly counts as treason anymore." Merlin rolls his eyes, "I could mock you until I was blue in the face and it still wouldn't count as treason."

Arthur pulls a faux-hurt face, "It would rather hurt my feelings."

"You'd survive." Merlin quips.

Arthur snorts, a rather unattractive sound that startled the crowd trailing the pair, "How on earth did they warp the story so much that I was a peasant boy that an old wizard raised? I'm sure there is historical documentation of the Pendragon bloodline somewhere. Geoffrey was insane like that."

"Geoffrey of Monmouth was the one to write the original stories."

"He didn't."

Merlin nods regretfully, "I do rather believe he did. Perhaps upon Gwaine's request."

"That would explain a lot." Arthur mutters, sending Merlin into a fit of giggles. "I knew there was a reason I wanted to banish him. Yet you and your bleeding heart didn't allow it."

Merlin rolls his eyes, "You were the bloody king of Camelot, if you wanted him gone you well could have." Merlin paused for dramatic effect, "But you didn't, so that must mean that somewhere deep down in that black heart of yours you liked Gwaine."

"I do not!" Arthur protests.

Merlin smiles smugly, "Admit it, you liked Gwaine."

Arthur holds out for a few seconds before caving, "Alright, he had his appeal." Arthur mutters, causing Merlin to preen on behalf of his friend. "Don't ever make me say that again."

Merlin laughs, "Oh, I won't." Merlin promises, "Hearing it once was more than enough."

"I hate you." Arthur mutters like a petulant child, surprising many of the Hogwartians.

"No you don't." Merlin counters.

Arthur sighs, "No, I rather suppose I don't. Damn you."

Merlin pats Arthur's arm in a condescending manner, "There, there, it hurts less the more times you say it."

"I wish I could still throw you in the stocks." Arthur grumbles.

Merlin leans into Arthur's side in contentment, "You'd miss my face within the first five minutes." Merlin counters.

"You know I hate when you're right."

"I do." Merlin smiles, "It hurts your big, manly ego, doesn't it? Suppose someone has to bruise it every now and again, lest it gets too big."

Finally they arrived in the entrance hall of the castle. Arthur stops to take a moment and appreciate the sight that he's greeted with. Heaving a sigh, Arthur allows a smile to slip onto his face, "It's nice to be in a castle again after being trapped in Avalon for such a long time."

"The castle is glad to have you back." Merlin murmured just loud enough for only Arthur to hear. "It's never been the same without you."

"You must tell me more when we arrive back at my chambers." Arthur tells Merlin, who nods in agreement.

"Everything." Merlin promises. "That I promise."

Arthur turns towards the group behind them, searching for the leader. McGonagall, sensing what the former king was doing, stepped forward. "If you would not mind us taking our leave. We shall happily join you for the evening meal." Arthur, rather formally, addresses the witch.

McGonagall nods her understanding, "That would be more than acceptable."

Arthur graces the woman with a smile, "Thank you, madame." Arthur turns back towards Merlin and prods his side, "C'mon idiot, I want to get out of this armor."

Merlin rolls his eyes, "Why can't you ever be nice to me?" Merlin whines.

"Because you'd fall over in shock if I was anything but." Arthur sensibly points out.

"And you know I hate it when you're right." Merlin grumbled, causing Arthur to happily laugh. The Hogwartians watch the pair amble off down the castle corridors until they could no longer see or hear them.

McGonagall turns towards the group, "Take the day off, I'd rather say no learning will get done with the state we are all in." McGonagall sighs and commands, "Please be prompt for dinner, as we will be hosting an esteemed guest." She then turns and walks off towards her office, the rest of the professors and students beginning to disperse to do their own things.

In the Gryffindor tower, gossip runs freely. "Just think," Seamus Finnigan says, "we've been rooming with bloody Merlin for six years."

"He seems the type to not enjoy all the fame he's acquired." Hermione Granger points out.

Harry Potter nods his agreement, "I wouldn't enjoy all that fame. I hardly enjoy the fame I already have."

The group of Gryffindors eventually move back outside to the lawn by the lake, happily taking in the sunshine and cloudless sky. "So why do you think Merlin came back to learn? He obviously doesn't need to learn about magic. I wonder if he is a reincarnation or if he's been alive all these years, simply holed up in hiding?" Hermione muses to the boys flopped out around her.

Dean and Seamus shrug, unconcerned and go back to tracing patterns in the dirt patch around the tree. A pair of snorts shocks the group and causes them to flail about until they finally see who had startled them, only to flail a bit more when they spot Merlin and Arthur standing above them. "Mind if we sit?" Merlin asks, a grin lazily sprawled on his lips.

Seeing that Hermione was only going to gawp at the pair, Harry finally speaks up, "Yeah, sure."

"Awesome." Merlin states before he flops down on the ground in a careless manner. Arthur, however, settles himself down in a graceful manner that causes Ron to raise a single eyebrow towards Dean and Seamus who smirk back at red haired boy and shrug in response. "Nice day, isn't it?" Merlin asks as he idly flicks his fingers and causes a slight breeze to pick up.

"How are you still this socially stunted?" Arthur snarks.

"I'd like to think I'm choosing to ignore social cues and doing what I want."

Arthur laughs and throws a leaf at Merlin, hitting him square in the nose. "Uh huh, whatever you say Merlin."

Merlin shrugs, rather unconcerned, before he turns to take in the stares his friends are leveling him with. "Really? You lot have known me for seven years and all you're going to do is stare at me? I'm still the same person, just a bit more." Merlin tries to explain, "I was reincarnated so legally my name is Neville Longbottom-"

Arthur laughs, "Good god that's terrible."

"Don't make me give you donkey ears."

Arthur's hands fly to his ears to cover them. Arthur glares as he responds, "Don't you fucking dare."

"Then don't laugh at a name I didn't give to myself." Merlin rolls his eyes. "Prat. As I was saying before I was so kindly interrupted," Merlin ignores the tongue that Arthur sticks out at him, "I was reincarnated and I didn't actually get my memories or my magic back until I cut the head off of Voldemort's snake."

"That's the crazy 'Dark Lord' that tried to take over the world?" Arthur asks for confirmation.

"Hardly a 'Dark Lord.'" Merlin snorts, "He didn't have anything on Morgana. Sorry." Merlin adds his apology at Arthur's wince.

"No, don't apologize, I should be over her betrayal."

Merlin places a hand on Arthur's folded hands, "Doesn't mean I should rub it in your face." Hermione blushes at the intimate moment between the pair while the boys continue to stare with no shame. "Anyways," Merlin removes his hands and continues to talk to his friends, "It means that for the majority of the time you've known me, I've just been Neville." Merlin shrugs, "You should know what it's like to have fame you don't really want, Harry."

Harry nods his understanding, "I do."

"I never exactly asked to be born with my magic or have a destiny." Merlin explains, "But one side of a coin can't exist without the other."

"Bloody dragon." Arthur mutters to himself.

"Oh hush, don't pick on the dragon." Merlin scolds the blonde. "I'm sure he was happy to have a willing audience all those years in Avalon."

"Yes, well, I never want to hear another cryptic message so long as I'm alive." Arthur grumbles, causing Hermione to giggle.

"You're just an overgrown child aren't you?" Hermione says between her giggles, causing the boys to look at her in shock and Merlin to start laughing in earnest at the flush making its way up Arthur's neck. Realizing what she had just said, Hermione's hands fly to her mouth, eyes going wide in mortification. "I"m so sor-"

Arthur shakes his head, "Please don't apologize." Arthur grins self-deprecatingly, "It's a rather accurate description when I'm paired with Merlin."

"Shut up, prat."

"Idiot."

"Clotpole."

"Dallophead."

"Hey!" Merlin looks outraged, "That's _my_ word you great lump!"

"Was great lump the best you could come up with?" Arthur snarks.

Merlin flushes and repeats, "Shut up."

The group falls into comfortable chatter, the Hogwartians finally feeling able to talk to both Merlin and Arthur as if they were normal people, instead of the legends. Finally the sky starts to darken so the group picks itself up to head back inside of the castle for dinner. "You're going to wear _that_?" Merlin fusses over Arthur.

Arthur slaps his friend's hands away, " _Yes_. It is perfectly fine, Merlin. Besides, you're no longer my manservant so you don't need to be dressing me."

Merlin continues to fuss over Arthur's clothes, "Yes, yes, but are you _sure_ you don't want to wear something more regal?"

"Are you trying to show me off?" Arthur asks in amusement. Merlin's flush is enough answer for Arthur, causing the other boys to snicker and Hermione only just contains her coo. "There's no need Merlin, they're probably more interested in you anyways. Unless that's why you want to dress me up, so I take the attention off of you."

"NO! Of course that's not the reason you should be wearing your full dress armor!" Merlin is quick to rebuff, sealing in Arthur's mind the real reason for his friend's fussiness.

Arthur flops his arm around Merlin's shoulders, "You'll be fine."

"But what if I won't?" Merlin asks in concern.

"But you will." Arthur firmly states, "You're brilliant, if the dragon is to be believed. Besides, you've said yourself that you've known these people for several years." Arthur moves one of his hands to cuff the back of Merlin's head. "Trust me."

"Oh you'll be fine, _Neville_." Hermione grins over at her friend, reminding him of his ties to the present. "You can still sit at the Gryffindor table with us. Both of you can."

"Thank you, Hermione." Merlin smiles gratefully at the witch and hardly notices as the group of them enters the Great Hall. The group quickly settled themselves down at the table, Arthur ignoring the looks that the professors were giving them.

McGonagall finally sighs and waves her hand for the feast to begin, "In honor of our esteemed guests."

"In honor of our friend." Hermione counters, the Gryffindor boys muttering the sentiment after only a second's pause.

"Thank you." Merlin gives the group a small smile. "It's really good to have you back Arthur." Merlin speaks loud enough for only Arthur to hear, causing the man in question to grin brilliantly at his close companion.

"It's wonderful to be back with you Merlin."


End file.
